Can opener



Sept. 15, 1942.

A. WALGO 7 2,296,073

CAN OPENER Filed Oct. 3, 1941 ZSheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Sept. 15, 1942.

A. WALGO 2,296,073

CAN OPENER Filed 0ct.:3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Sept. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT/OFFICE CAN OPENER Albert Walgo, Mattitllck, N. Y. Application October a, 1941, Serial No. 413,439

9 Claims. (01. 30-15) My invention relates to can openers and more particularly to that type which completely severs ,the can end from the can body and leaves a folded edge on the can body at the point of severance and a comparatively straight edge on the can end.

One great difliculty that has been found in the use of this type of can opener has beenthat after the end of the can is severed, it falls into the can. This, of course, is immediately unsanitary because the liquid contents of the can flows over the outer surface of the can which usually has not been sterilized but has been subject to a great deal of possible contamination in handling and storage in the cannery, in the store, and even in the home or institution. Then, in order to remove the severed can end it is necessary to use a knife or other thin implement, inserting the same between the side of the can and the edge of the top and moving the same to lift the top free of the can where it can be grabbed by the fingers to be removed and thrown away.

Many users of these can openers now solve this problem by not completely severing the can end, leaving it attached at one part, but again the user must locate a suitable implement to pry the can end above the top of the body so that it can be bent back out of the way when pouring out the contents of the can. This of course defeats one of the principal advantages of this type of can opener because it still leaves the end attached to the can body and while the edge of the end is not jagged it is very sharp, and the attached end is in the way when handling the can thereafter.

It is one object of my invention to provide a can opener of the above indicated character in which provision is made to prevent a completely severed can end from falling into the can when the cutting operation is completed.

It is another object of my invention to provide a can opener ofthe above indicated character with means by which the severed can end will be removed from the can simultaneously with the can opener and then the end can bereadily disposed of.

It is still another object of my invention to provide a can opener having the above features which can be readily and unfailingly used with a multiplicity of sizes of cans, 3

It is a further object of my invention to provide a can opener of the above indicated character with means for holding the can end which means so remains in fixed position with respect to the can end at all times.

Other and further objects and advantages. of my invention willbe apparent from this speciflcation taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a movable type of can opener constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the can opener of Fig. 1 showing the parts after the can end has been severed, parts being broken away to facilitate the illustration.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a wall mounted type of can opener showing a modified construction according to my invention.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the can opener of Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the can, the end of which is to be severed, is indicated in dot and dash lines. The can opener comprises a standard ll having its lower end bent inwardly, as indicated at I2, to form a brace against the side of the can when the opener is in use, and also to partly form a housing for the mechanism. A cutter I3 is pivotally mounted at M on the standard II, the lower end l5 of the cutter being appropriately shaped and sharpened. ,In its vertical or operative position the cutter engages against the ear [6 on the standard which forms one stop, and the upper end of the cutter projects above the top of the standard so that it may be conveniently moved about its pivot.

A driving wheel l1, having a serrated rim, is fast on a stub shaft l8 which is rotatably mounted in the standard I I, the driving wheel being positioned in cooperative relation with the cutting edge l5 and so as to engage beneath the bead of the can. The wheel is driven by the wing-like handle is which is also fast upon the stub shaft l8.

An arm 2| comprising an elongated fiat portion provided with the slot 22 extending almost the entire length of the pivot, shaft ll of the cutter. the inner end of the arm is bent upwardly as indicated at 23 and the vertical and horizontal portions of the arm are joined by the re-entrant curved portion 24, which imparts sufiicient flexibility between the arm and standard. When the standard I I is held vertically the slotted portion of the arm 2| is disposed at an upward acute angle with respect to the horizontal. Loosely mounted in the slot 22 is the rod 25 on the lower end of which is mounted a vacuum cup 26 and on arm is secured upon the I For this purpose the upper end of which is mounted a knob 21, the cup and knob being respectively on the under and upper sides of the arm.

In the operation of the opener Just described, the user tilts the cutter l3 to the horizontal position where it rests upon the stop 28, adjusts the driving wheel l'l beneath the bead of the can and moves the vacuum cup to approximately the center of the can end, pressing the cup down upon .the can by exerting pressure on the knob. Thus the can end becomes firmly engaged by the vacuum cup. The cutter I3 is turned then to its vertical position so that the cutting edge l5 penetrates the can end. The operator then turns the handle l9 and by means of the driving wheel II the cutter is caused to travel around the rim of the can while severing the can end from the body.

In this turning operation, the cutter turns about the rod 25 of the vacuum cup, which cup remains stationary. when the can end is completely severed, it will not fall into the can because the same is held by the vacuum cup, which is a structural part of the opener. Thus, as the can opener is removed, the can end is carried with the opener and thereafter it can be slid of! of the vacuum cup and disposed of.

The provision of the slotted arm 22 enables the vacuum cup to be readily adjusted to the approximate center of a can end, regardless of the diameter of the can, before being caused to engage the can end. It is immaterial whether the vacuum cup is at the actual axis of the can because the loose mounting of the rod of the vacuum cup in the slot 22 enables the relativepositions of the vacuum cup and arm to adjust themselves automatically and continually as the cutter travels around the can. Thus, the vacuum cup remains stationary during the cutting operation and does not have to slide or make any movements at all which might break the vacuum exerted by the cup 26.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, the standard 3| has at one end a cross piece 32 which is adapted to fit in a wall bracket 33 to fixedly support the standard while the opener is in use. At its forward end the lower portion of the standard has an intumed portion 34 which braces against the side of the can. Rotatably mounted in the standard is a stub shaft 35 carrying on one end thereof the drive wheel 36 having a serrated rim and on its other end the crank arm 31 by means of which the wheel is rotated. Mounted above the drive wheel 36 is a sub-bracket 38 which has a laterally extending shelf portion 39, slotted as indicated at 4i for the vertical reciprocation of the cutter 42, the lower end of which is appropriately shaped and sharpened as indicated at 43. The cutter is raised and lowered, as is well understood in this art, by means of the latch handle 44 which moves from the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the cutter is entirely lowered, through an arc of 180 at which point the cutter is raised to its full height for the insertion of the can.

Mounted in back of the cutter and operating in a slot in the vertical portion of the sub-bracket 38 is a holder 45 which is vertically aligned with the drive wheel 36 and which serves to clamp the rim of the can being acted upon between the bottom of the holder and the serrated rim of the drive wheel. The holder acts against a tension spring 46 one end of which passes through a slot (not shown) in the standard and engages in the rear of the holder. The holder is raised simultaneously with the raising of the cutter and .through the same movement of the latch handle 44, and when the plunger is lowered the can is held by the tension of the spring 46.

m the form shown in these figures, the shelf held on the plate. A vacuum cup 54 having its rod (not shown, but similar to the rod 25 in Fig. 2) loosely mounted in the slot 5| and on the top of the rod is the knob 55.

In the use of the device shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the bead .of the can is locked between the serrated rim of the driving wheel 36 and the holder 45 as explained above. The arm carrying the vacuum cup is brought into the position shown in Fig. 3, against the bent up ear 56, in which it is disposed substantially at right angles to the standard 3|, and the vacuum cup 54 is pressed into en-v gagement with the can end at approximately its center. The crank handle 31 is then turned which causes the can to rotate with respect to the cutter in order to sever the can from the can body. At the same time the vacuum cup 54 rotates with the can but again it makes no difference if the vacuum cup is not in the actual center of the can because the relative positions of the plunger and the arm can readily vary by reason of the loose mounting in the slot 5!. Furthermore, the whole arm is free to move about the vertical pivot 53 if need be.

After the can end is completely severed, the arm 49 is raised about the horizontal hinge 52 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4 which lifts the can end free of the can, and then the can can be released from the opener by the unlatching movement of the lever 44. The can end can be removed from the vacuum cup 54 by sliding the same transversely of the vacuum cup. When the can opener is not in use orthe same is to be packed for shipment, the arm 49 is low ered to its horizontal position, and then the entire arm is moved backwardly on the vertical pivot 53 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3. The hinge 52 is, of course, optional.

It is apparent that the showings in the drawings are by way of examples, and that the features thereof can be applied to other constructions of can openers.

Modifications may be made in the arrangement and location of parts within the spirit and scope of my invention, and such modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a can opener of the type to effect complete severance of the can end from a can body, a standard, a driving wheel rotatably mounted thereon and arranged to engage a portion of the can, a handle for rotating the wheel, a cutter mounted on a pivot carried by the standard, an arm fast on the same pivot, said arm extending transversely of said standard and having a slot I connection therebetween,

the can, a handle for rotating the wheel, a cutter mounted on a pivot carried by the standard, an arm fast on the standard, said arm extending transversely of said standard and having a slot therein, and a vacuum cup loosely mounted in said slot and adjustable to engage the can end in approximately the center thereof.

3. In a can opener of the type to effect complete severance of the can end\from a can body,

a standard, a driving wheel rotatably mounted thereon and arranged to engage a portion of the can. a handle for rotating the wheel, a cutter mounted on a pivot carried by the standard, an arm mounted on the standard with a flexible said arm extending transversely of saidstandard and having a slot therein, and a vacuum cup loosely mounted in said slot and adjustable to engage the can end in approximately the center thereof.

4. In a can opener of the type to eifect complete severance of the can end from a can body, a standard, means for mounting the same, a driving wheel rotatably mounted thereon and arranged to engage a portion of the can, a crank arm for rotating the wheel, a spring pressed reciprocable holder mounted on the standard and movable to a position to clamp the can portion between it and the wheel, means for moving the holder from and to its locking position,

a cutter carried by the standard, an arm arranged to extend outwardly from the standard, the arm being mounted on a vertical pivot carried by the standard and also being hinged to move about a horizontal axis, the arm having a slot therein, and a vacuum cup loosely mounted in said slot and arranged to engage the can end at approximately the center thereof.

5. In a can opener of the type to effect complete severance of the can end from a can body, a standard, means for mounting the same, a driving wheel rotatably mounted thereon and arranged to engage a portion of the can, a crank arm for rotating the wheel, a spring pressed reciprocable holder mounted on the standard and movable toa position to clamp the can portion between it and the wheel, means for moving the holder from and to its locking position, a cutter carried by the standard, an arm arranged to extend outwardly from the standard, the arm being mounted on a vertical pivot carried by the standard and provided with a slot, and a vacuum cup loosely mounted in said slot and arranged to engage the can end at approximately the center thereof. 1

8. In a can opener of the type to effect complete severance of the can end from a can body, a standard, means for mounting the same, a driving wheel rotatably mounted thereon and arranged to engage a portion of the can, a crank arm for rotating the wheel, a spring pressed reciprocable holder mounted on the standard and movable to a position to clamp the can portion between it and the wheel, means for moving the holder from and to its locking position, a cutter carried by the standard, an arm arranged to extend outwardly from the standard, the arm being provided with a slot and also being hinged to move about a horizontal axis, and a vacuum cup loosely mounted in said slot and arranged to engage the can end at approximately the center thereof.

7. In a can opener of the type to effect complete severance of the can end from a can body, a standard, a driving wheel rotatably mounted thereon and arranged to engage a portion of the can, means for rotating the wheel, means mounted on the standard and movable to a position to clamp the can portion between it and the wheel, means for moving the holder from and to its locking position, a cutter carried by the standard, an arm arranged to extend outwardly from the standard, the arm being pivoted and having a slot therein, and a vacuum cup loosely mounted in said slot and arranged to engage the can end at approximately the center thereof.

8. In a can opener of the type to effect complete severance of the can end from a can body,

a standard, a driving wheel rotatably mounted thereon and arranged to engage a portion of the can, means for rotating the wheel, a cutter mounted on the standard, a slotted arm also mounted on the standard and extending laterally therefrom, and a vacuum cup loosely mounted in said slot and arranged to engage the can end at approximately the center of the can end.

9. In a can opener of the type to effect complete severance of the can end from a can body, a standard, a driving wheel rotatably mounted thereon and arranged to engage a portion of the can, means for rotating the wheel, a cutter mounted on the standard, a slotted arm also mounted on the standard and extending laterally therefrom, and means freely mounted in said slot and arranged to engage the can end at approximately the center of the can end to hold the same when severed from the can body.

ALBERT WALGO. 

